The robin, Erithacus rubecula, is synonymous with Christmas time, and Britain's favourite bird. (Photo from personal collection)
Christmas is practically here, and a brand new year will soon follow. And with that new year, as every good, nature-loving boy and girl knows, comes another Big Garden Birdwatch, here in the UK.
Run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the Big Garden Birdwatch is one of the largest and well-known citizen science projects in the UK. It takes place every January and its aim is to gather data about bird numbers throughout the UK.
In 2023, the Big Garden Birdwatch will take place during the weekend between the 27th and the 29th of January.
All you need to do is sit in your garden, your local park, or watch the birds that visit your balcony, for an hour. Make a note of which birds you see, and then submit those figures to the RSPB, either through their website, or through the post.
At the end of this blog post you will find a link to the RSPB page where you can sign up for next year's watch. When you sign up, you will be sent a guide to help you identify the likeliest feathered visitors to your garden. You will also receive a code that gives you 20% off and free postage and packaging when you make a purchase from the RSPB online shop.
For the individual taking part in the Big Garden Birdwatch it can be both a calming and an exciting activity. Calming because you must be mindful in your watch, and exciting because you never know which birds might make an appearance!
Unfortunately, many of our gardenbirds are suffering a severe decline, with 38 million birds having disappeared from UK skies in the last fifty years. And that is why projects like the Big Garden Birdwatch are so invaluable. With data about bird numbers throughout the country, it gives conservationists a better idea of how to help different bird species. For example, if one type of bird is doing well in one area of the country but very poorly in another, it provides a starting point for figuring out the variables that might determine that bird's success or failure.
So, it's worth checking out that link at the bottom of this post!
So, in the meantime, throughout this festive season of the year, before we reach the Big Garden Birdwatch, what can bird-loving boys and girls do to maintain their place on Santa's nice list?
He does check those lists twice, you know!?
Well . . .
For those of us tucking into a hearty Christmas lunch, and other festive foods, there are often scraps and leftovers to deal with. And the question arises, what to do with them? Sandwiches? Casseroles?
Why not put some of it out for the birds?!
Fats from cuts of meat will be a real treat for some gardenbirds, such as blue tits. However, you must be sure that the fats are unsalted. Birds are practically incapable of metabolising salts, and salt can be toxic to them. It affects their nervous system. So, no salt on the bird food table!
Birds will appreciate a little bread, but it is best to avoid putting out too much because it does not provide much in nutritional value. So, to avoid birds filling up on too much bread, only put out a little. And, if you can, do so with other more nutritional foods available.
When it comes to bread, it is also worth remembering that brown is better than white, and that birds will have an easier time eating moist bread. If bread is stale and dry, give it a little soak for some happy gardenbirds!
If, after Christmas dinner, you like to settle down in front of the telly with a glass of something yummy and a selection of cheeses, don't forget the birds!
They probably won't be interested in what you have in your glass – unless your preferred Christmas drink is a nice glass of clean, fresh water – but some of them will see a nice bit of mild cheese as a real treat. Grate a little mild cheese, put it in your garden, and you might spot a red-breasted robin tucking in with enthusiasm. A perfect Christmas garden scene!
For further details on which garden scraps and leftovers are safe to put out for gardenbirds, please follow this link to the RSPB website.
As well as providing food, it is equally important – if not more important! – to make sure that birdfeeders and birdbaths are clean.
Birdfeeders, attracting wild birds to visit and revisit, can be a hotspot for the spread of parasites and diseases if a decent standard of cleanliness and hygiene is not maintained.
For this reason, if birdfeeders cannot be cleaned once or twice a week, it is better to not feed birds at all.
To clean your feeders, you will need a bucket, warm water, soap, and materials appropriate for your feeders. For example, sponges or pipe cleaners. Many wildlife charities and animal welfare retailers now sell kits for cleaning birdfeeders. And it is best to look out for those feeders which are made to accommodate the hygiene conscious nature lover when you make your purchase.
I promise, it is worth that little bit of effort to give the feathered visitors to your garden a better shot at a healthy life, free from diseases.
Diseases like trichomonosis, a horrible affliction that causes lesions in the throats of infected birds, are often spread through feeders. And it seems terribly sad, to this humble nature blogger, that those who might have the very best of intentions at heart might be doing a great deal of harm instead.
Please, clean your feeders.
For more information on good hygiene practices for your birdfeeders, please follow this link.
And, if you have done all that, you might expect a good variety of birds to visit your garden during the Big Garden Birdwatch of 2023.
However, if you've no garden of your own, you can also watch birds that visit balcony feeders, or you can watch the birds that visit your local park.
If you've an hour to spare during the weekend of 27 – 29 January 2023, sign up for the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch here!
Oh, and before I forget, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
And for those that might be alone, or unhappy for other reasons this Christmas time, I hope that you find your way, your place, and your people! I wish you well too!
Thank you for reading.
Before you go, can I ask that you please consider supporting this blog and buy a cup of warm Christmas punch for the author here.
If you've bought all your presents, and you've nothing left to give, you can leave a comment, share this posting with friends on social media, and subscribe so you don't miss a post in future.
It is all very much appreciated.
And, again, thank you for reading, and a Merry Christmas!
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